My Greatest Regret
by KH freak 813
Summary: "My greatest regret is not looking back after making him cry. That was the last time I saw him alive." AU
1. Chapter 1

Hello readers! This is the third story I have ever written. Unlike the others, however, this story will have actual chapters. Yay! If you like this story, feel free to read and review my other two stories, Take My Pain Away and Until It's Too Late. Like the others, this will be an akuroku. Don't expect me to write about any other couple. They are my one and only favorite! No flames please! Don't like, don't read.

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Kingdom Hearts. They belong to Disney and Square Enix. I only own this and every other story I have ever written.

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Axel's POV:

I sat on the Clock Tower with a resounding thud. I held my Sea-Salt ice cream with a vice grip. That Roxas, always speaking his mind. He doesn't regard other's feelings, and I'm sick of it. His words filled me with such anger, such hatred. The conversation we had earlier kept replaying in my head, and every time I re-listened to it, I only grew angrier and angrier.

...

* * *

I was walking past the hallways of The World That Never Was after a strenuous mission. I wanted nothing more than to go to the Clock Tower and eat Sea-Salt ice cream with my very best friend in the World, Roxas. Sigh, how nice that would be. Watching the sunset with him, the rays creating a halo over his blond hair, making him look like an angel...how romantic. Yeah...I have been in love with him since forever.

Roxas suddenly passed me, snapping me out of my thoughts. He always looked more beautiful in person.

"Hey Roxas, how was that mission in Halloween Town?" I questioned, wanting to start a conversation.

"Horrible. Those pesky kids kept on bombing me. I couldn't fight back since they are well...kids!" He mumbled. Poor Roxas.

"Poor you. Well, why don't we go to the Clock Tower, for old time's sake? That will cheer you up." I requested. Please say yes, please say yes!

"I'm sorry Axel, but I am embarking on another mission. I have to go to Twilight Town to eliminate the Organization Imposter." Roxas replied.

"What?! Another mission!? Why!? We don't even get to hang out anymore! It's as if you are always on a mission!" I screamed.

"I apologize Axel, but it is how it is. I have to do it."

"No you don't! You can do it tomorrow! Only one mission has to be done a day! We haven't hung out in forever!" I angrily replied.

"No, I have to do it." He whispered.

"Are you trying to ignore me!? Well!" I exploded.

"Some things are just more important than others." He whispered.

"Are you saying an unnecessary mission is more important than your best friend!?"

"..."

"Well?!"

"..."

"Forget this!" I screamed. "If you want to ignore me, then so be it. You are despicable! I hate you!"

"You...hate me?" He whimpered.

I turned to walk away. I could practically hear the tears streaming down his face, but I didn't look back. I was so pissed off at Roxas. How dare he ignore me and place me below an unnecessary mission. And he has the nerve to cry?! I went on to the Clock Tower without him.

* * *

Roxas's POV:

Why did Axel have to say that to me? I wasn't trying to ignore him. I only wanted to sort my feelings. I mean, there is a strange fluttering whenever I see him. I struggle to keep from studdering near him. I can't help but to sneak glances at him when isn't looking. I didn't know what I was feeling, and that's why I took the extra missions; I could have more time to myself to think.

But what he said earlier, it hurt. It still hurt. I can't believe he hates me. And to top it all off, he didn't even turn around when he heard me crying. He really does hate me.

Right then, I had to focus on the task at hand; I must eliminate the Organization Imposter. I could make up with Axel afterwards. As I turned towards a dark, abandoned alleyway, I felt a dark presence watching me. It was _him_.

Show yourself you imposter! I know you are here!" I screamed.

Suddenly, in a flash of darkness, the imposter appeared. He wore our coat, our uniform. A raven blindfold covered his eyes. He had long, silver hair. He pointed his sword at me, ready for battle.

"About time you showed up." the imposter spoke.

"Enough talk. I'm here to eliminate you for wearing our coat." I said resolutely.

"Heh, don't bother. I'm here to steal your soul." He replied ominously. Steal my soul? For what?

I summoned my Keyblade and lunged toward him. He skillfully dodged my attack. Just as he was about to slice at me though, I guarded and managed to land a critical hit on his side. We continued to fight for what seemed like hours, neck in neck.

"Why do you want my soul?" I inquired.

"I'll tell you why. I need it in order to wake up my love from his deep slumber." He responded.

His love? He would risk himself being killed to save his love? I wish Axel was like that with me, but that will never happen; he hates me.

Suddenly, he lunged his bat-like sword directly at my chest. It was lightning quick; I couldn't react fast enough. It stabbed right though me. I could feel the blood gushing from my wound, and my soul slipping away. At these last moments, I realized that I loved Axel, but it was too no avail since my love was unrequited. After a moment of excruciating pain, everything went black.

* * *

Axel's POV:

What was that? An unbearable pain in my chest came out of nowhere. Roxas. There must be something wrong with him. Following the pain, I rushed down the Clock Tower. The pain was growing worse and worse. Suddenly, what I said earlier to Roxas flashed through my mind. I hoped he was okay. I regretted saying those words to him, and I had the urge to smother him with kisses and apologize. A trail of red flowed from an alleyway. The pain in my chest became unbeabably strong. Please don't let that be his. I rounded the corner.

What I saw next would haunt me for the rest of my life.

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How did you like it? Please review and tell me what you think. F.Y.I: I will only update this story when I receive reviews. That let's me know that people like my story. So please, please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello readers! Thank you for the review! You don't know how much I appreciate it. Here's chapter two! I hope you aren't too sad know, it'll only get worse. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Kingdom Hearts. It belongs to Disney and Square Enix. I only own this and every story I have.

* * *

Axel's POV:

The trail of blood was coming from a motionless figure. The figure had windswept golden blond bangs and deep blue eyes that were glazed over, looking glass-like. The figure was short, and wore the Black Coat. I realized that the figure was Roxas.

Quickly, I unzipped his Black Coat and the black jacket that laid underneath so I could examine the wound. It was a deep stab wound, one placed directly over where his heart should be. I immediately took out my First Aid kit to clean the wound and dress it; he was so deathly pale, he couldn't afford to lose any more blood.

After accomplishing that task, I set my attention on reviving him. I opened his mouth, and covered it with mine. I preformed CPR on him while I coated my hands with a very weak electric spell, and shocked him continuously. He wasn't reacting; he stayed completely still.

Realizing he wasn't responding, I hurriedly opened a sloppy Dark Corridor and carried him bridal style. I practically flew through the portal.

* * *

The corridor took me to Vexen's lab; Roxas needed professional medical help.

"Vexen, something horrible has happened! Roxas was stabbed in the chest where his heart should be. He lost a lot of blood. I was able to clean and dress the wound, but I was unable to revive him. Please help!" I panicked. I couldn't imagine my life without Roxas in it. He was my everything.

"Then give him to me! I will run a test on his vitals and try my best to revive him. We can't afford to lose Number XIII; he is very valuable to the Organization. Go wait outside!" Vexen hurriedly explained. Of course. The only reason he cared was because Roxas could use the Keyblade to unlock hearts. Vexen didn't even address him by his name. He didn't care that a sweet, innocent life was on the line. Despite my thoughts, however, I left the room quickly.

* * *

I waited outside the lab for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn't stand not knowing what happened to Roxas. Just then, what I said earlier to Roxas flashed through my mind again. My chest contracted painfully; what I said to him was completely false. If anything, I'm the despicable one. He was just working hard to ensure the Organization's success, yet I let myself believe that he was trying to ignore me. The moment he woke up, I would apologize to him and confess my love.

The door to the lab suddenly opened. I jumped and stared at Vexen; his eyes and expression revealed nothing. I awaited the news, dread building up with every moment of silence.

"I'm sorry, but he's dead." Vexen announced. Just as he said those words, everything shattered. "No, he's wrong, he didn't check enough, he didn't look hard enough!" I thought.

"Are you sure Vexen? Maybe you read something wrong." I justified.

"No, he's dead; he's not breathing, he has no pulse, he is ice-cold, and his brain is completely inactive. All the data shows that he died." Vexen replied.

"No, no!" I screamed. "I should have ran faster, hurried to his side more quickly; he'd still be alive!"

"No, that's not it." Vexen explained. "Even though he lost too much blood, that's not what killed him."

"Then what did?" I questioned fearfully.

"His soul was stolen."

"What!?" I exclaimed.

"His soul was stolen." Vexen repeated.

"But how!?" I asked.

"You see, according to my data, he lost his soul as soon as he was stabbed. It must have been a soul-stealing weapon that did the damage. Without a soul in his body, he simply perished."

"Then that means," I said hopefully, "if we manage to restore his soul, he could revive?"

"You're too naïve." Vexen chided. "Even if you managed to reclaim his soul, it would do nothing. Due to the loss of blood, his body died too. A soul cannot return to a dead body."

"I thought you said that the loss of blood wasn't the thing that killed him." I growled.

"You simpleton! His soul being stolen is what caused his death, but him bleeding out caused his body to be inaccessible to his soul!" Vexen roared.

Without waiting for Vexen's consent, I rushed back into the lab. Despite everything Vexen had said, I still didn't believe him; I was in denial. The moment I saw Roxas though, everything shattered.

Roxas as lying on the be with many devices attached to his body. Throughout the room, I could hear long beeps. I reached for his hand; it was ice-cold, like Vexen had said. My eyes started to tear up as the pain in my chest escalated.

"Roxas! Roxas! Wake up! Please...wake...up." I desperately shouted. No matter how many times I shook him or how many times I screamed at him to wake up, he stayed motionless. The tears started streaming down my face and painful sobs racked my frame.

Everything froze as reality finally set in; Roxas is dead; he'll never wake up ever again. I can never take back what I said. He must have died thinking that I hated him.

Suddenly, I just realized that his eyes were still open. I put my fingertips over his eyelids, and closed them. At least he looked at peace now.

"I told you." Vexen scolded as he reentered his lab.

I didn't bother to acknowledge Vexen; I was too miserable to care about what he said.

* * *

The funeral took place two days later. Nobody was given missions that day; it was a day for grieving. The Proof of Existence was where the funeral took place. There were twelve chairs set up; one for each member. Every member was seated, except for Xemnas, who was standing behind a podium erected in front of the seats. Roxas laid in an open casket residing over his grave. I tried my best not to look at the coffin, trying to keep calm.

"Friends, we are gathered here today to honor the life of Roxas, who was an exceptional member of our Organization. He worked hard ever since he became a member to ensure its success. His Keyblade unlocked the hearts captured by Heartless, bringing us much closer to being complete beings. Roxas will never be forgotten." Xemnas preached.

Every member took turns coming up and saying what they liked most about Roxas.

"Little Roxy was so much fun to mess with." Xigbar mused. He would be so angry if he heard you say 'Little Roxy'.

"I liked that he kept out of my way." Xaldin stated. Of course you would say that.

"He was smart. He clearly took on after me." Vexen bragged. Yeah right.

"He was quiet." Lexaeus muttered. That was to be expected.

"I liked how was serious with his missions." Zexion announced. Wow, coming from the stoic one.

"I liked how he overachieved and did as many missions as possible." Saïx said. Like he cared that much.

"I liked pulling pranks on him." Demyx answered. How childish.

"He was a challenge when playing poker." Luxord replied. Really? Poker?

"He could wield the Keyblade." Marluxia stated. Really? That was the only thing you could come up with?

"I could think of an endless amount of names to call him." Larxene sneered. Best thing to say at a _funeral_, Larxene. I knew that you were jealous of him.

After taking my time to think of what I was going to say, I finally stood up and headed toward the podium. Everyone was staring at me intently.

"Roxas, he was my very best friend in the World. He...made me smile and laugh." I smiled as I said this. "Sundown became my favorite part of the day because we would meet up at the Clock Tower in Twilight Town to eat Sea-Salt ice cream and share laughs. His smile made my chest flutter. His laugh brightened my day, no matter how horrid it was. He looked like an angel under the setting sun; I love him."

Xemnas, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaus, Zexion, Saïx, and Marluxia looked like they could care less. Xigbar and Luxord looked amused. Demyx looked like he was going to burst in happiness. Larxene looked disgusted (I knew she was jealous). I was glad for that to finally come out, but I wished that Roxas was the one I said that to. Even if he would be disgusted with me, it would have been better than not telling him at all.

Finally, the last part of the ceremony arrived; we had to walk by Roxas's coffin to pay him our best wishes in the afterlife, then we could leave. I stood in the back of the line, dreading the moment I had to look at him. Waiting until the others had left, I finally looked into the casket.

Roxas laid in the coffin, looking as if he was sleeping. His face was a rosy hue, the makeup restoring much of the original color that was there. His blond hair was done in its signature windswept spikes. His eyes were closed. He looked so peaceful. I smiled at how beautiful he looked, then I realized something; he will always stay like this. That brought tears down my face. He would never awaken. I would never see him smile or hear him laugh ever again; I was going to be lonely for the rest of my life. As the coffin was lowering into the grave, I could only think one thing.

"I am going to avenge Roxas even if it's the last thing I ever do."

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How was it? Wasn't it sad? Please tell what you think. I will post another chapter only if I receive reviews from you. Axel will be taking revenge on Riku for his crime. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello readers! I would like to thank **AngelHeartFire** for reviewing both of my chapters! Your reviews got me motivated to write this one! What can I say? I love reviews! Thank you for favoriting and following this story as well **AngelHeartFire**! Axel will take revenge on Riku in this chapter. Hmmm, I wonder how this will turn out...(if you want to know, then read!) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Kingdom Hearts. It belongs to Disney and Square Enix. I only one this and every other story I have.

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Axel's POV:

It had been four days since Roxas's funeral. During those days, I had been searching for his murderer. I highly suspected that it was the Organization Imposter, but I couldn't be so narrow-minded; Roxas deserved justice, and the only way he could get that is if I killed his _true _killer_._

I had been searching all of Twilight Town relentlessly; nothing that could help me could be found. It was as if he wiped up all the evidence he left behind. But I couldn't give up. Only when the sun sank low in the sky did I RTC.

* * *

"Axel!" a voice cried. I was heading toward my room when I heard my name.

"Huh?" I grunted. When I turned around, I realized that it was Vexen.

"Did you find anything?" I questioned. At the start of my search, I asked Vexen to analyze any evidence that could have been found on Roxas's Black Coat; Roxas was given a spare cloak to wear for the funeral since it was drenched in blood. Since no evidence could be found at the scene of the crime, that was the only way to go.

"Yes, indeed I did. I analyzed all the blood that was on the coat, and I found out that some of it isn't his." Vexen explained.

"What!?" I roared. "Then whose is it!?"

"Calm down." Vexen chided.

"How can I be _calm!_? Roxas is dead thanks to that jerk!" I exploded.

"If you want to hear what I have to say, then shut your mouth!" Vexen demanded. Grudgingly, I stopped talking so I could hear what Vexen would tell me.

"It took four days to find a match, but I finally found one. The blood belongs to Riku.

"Who's Riku?" I asked. I had no idea who he was, but I was dreading the answer.

"The Organization Imposter." Vexen answered. As soon as those words left his mouth, my vision turned red. I had been right. It was that _monster_. Thanks to him, my love no longer lives.

"**_What_**!" I exclaimed so loudly, the whole castle must have heard.**_  
_**

Vexen cringed. "His blood on the coat is relatively the same age as Roxas's blood. It has to be him.

Are you sure you want to do this? You could be killed!" Vexen questioned. How uncharacteristic of you Vexen, caring about others.

"Of course. My greatest regret is not looking back after making him cry. That was the last time I saw him alive. I have to make it up to him in some way." I confirmed.

Then, without thinking, I teleported out of the castle. I had to find Riku.

* * *

He was hard to track; since he wore our coat, I couldn't sniff him out. It was also hard to tell the difference between him and the other members; I didn't know how he looked like.

I went to the one place I could think of; the scene of the crime. Once there, I focused on sensing his lingering aura. Why didn't I do this earlier?: I didn't know who murdered my best friend. Also, sensing auras is a horrendous, energy-draining task. Now that I knew, I could get me one step closer to finding the imposter.

After a very long moment, I felt two distinct auras; the bright, determined, soothing aura that belonged to Roxas, and a dark, fearless aura that must have belonged to Riku.

Using the remnant to detect the source, I was able to find out where Riku was; Castle Oblivion.

With a determined look, I opened a Dark Corridor and braced myself for the battle to come.

* * *

Riku's POV:

_Minutes before... _

I had to hurry; most likely an agent of the Organization would be after me for what I did to Roxas. I had to wipe out all the evidence I left behind. I would have disposed of Roxas's body if Axel hadn't been heading towards that alley as quickly as he had; I could not afford to be caught.

I felt no regret for my actions; Roxas was never meant to exist, and I needed his soul to awaken Sora from his year-long slumber.

I rushed toward the Pod Room in Castle Oblivion; the place that Sora slept. As I bolted into the chamber, I took off my blindfold and opened the pod. As the contraption opened, I saw the face of my soulmate that I haven't seen in a year; he had carmel hair that pointed in all directions. His eyes were closed, concealing eyes that were the seas themselves. His face was round and perfect. He had grown a few inches since the last time I saw him, but I was still taller than him by a head. All in all, he was still beautiful.

As I was staring at him, I summoned Soul Eater. It appeared in a flash of pure darkness. Slowly, I approached the slumbering boy. I gently laid the tip of the blade over his heart. I released the soul I held captive back into where it belonged.

As the spirit left the blade with a white light, Sora started to glow in the same shade. As the sleepiness wore off of Sora's figure, I smiled; finally I could see those beautiful orbs open.

After several long moments, those eyes opened. He looked so drowsy. He yawned cutely and I couldn't help but chuckle. Finally, Sora and I could return to Destiny Islands together.

"Riku? Riku!" Sora cried.

Suddenly, he jumped from the pod directly onto me, wrapping me in a tight hug. I couldn't help but return the embrace.

"It's really you! I missed you so much!" Sora rejoiced.

"I missed you too. Ever since you fell in that slumber, I tried to find a way to wake you up. It's been a year, but I finally did it. That year without you was unbearable. I love you."

"I love you too, Riku." Sora responded.

But our heartfelt reunion was cut short by a sudden intrusion.

* * *

Axel's POV:

As I exploded through the doors, I saw _him _holding another boy. The imposter was wearing our coat and had silver hair and aquamarine eyes. The boy he was holding looked very similar to Roxas, except he had brunette hair that was spiked in all directions.

"I finally found you, you monster!" I growled.

"Monster! What are you talking about you creep!" The brunette screamed.

"Sora, calm down. It's nothing for you to worry about." Riku reassured.

"**NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!**" I roared. "He murdered my best friend in cold blood!"

"You did what!? Why?" Sora inquired, surprised and confused.

"The only way to wake you up was to capture the soul of your Nobody and return it to you." Riku explained.

"**SO THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS FOR?! **I screamed."**YOU MURDERED A SWEET, INNOCENT PERSON BECAUSE A STUPID KLUTZ PUT HIMSELF TO SLEEP?! ROXAS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH SORA'S MISTAKE, YET YOU INVOLVE HIM IN SUCH A HORRID WAY?!**"

"Don't call Sora a klutz!" Riku snarled before he jumped toward me.

"Riku!" Sora screamed.

I anticipated his attack, and quickly stepped to the side. I ignited and threw both my chakrams, both hitting their target. Riku didn't back down however, and charged right at me. As he moved to stab me in the chest, I lifted a chakram up to intercept the blade. It got caught in my Eternal Flames, and I was able to disarm him.

As I was about to throw a chakram straight toward a motionless and defenseless Riku, Sora intervened, standing in the way between Riku and my rotating weapon. But before the chakram could make its mark, it bounced off a wall of light, and everything went white.

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What happened? If you really want to know, then please review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello readers! I would like to thank **AngelHeartFire** for reviewing, favoriting, and following my story, **Small-Cherry-Wolf-XIII** for reviewing my last chapter and following, and **Manami Nightray** for favoriting and following my story! I really appreciate it! You guys motivated me to write this chapter! I hope you like it.

To clarify a few things for **Small-Cherry-Wolf-XIII**: Yes, Riku and Sora confessed in the last chapter and Sora wasn't killed, you will find out what happened in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Kingdom Hearts. They belong to Disney and Square Enix. I only own this and every other story I have.

* * *

Axel's POV:

"What...just happened?" I mummered to no one in particular. I had no idea what had happened. Just moments ago, Sora intercepted the chakram that was meant for Riku, but it bounced off a shield of light and I was blinded.

Right then, I found myself in a different place. I was floating in the middle of nowhere, not knowing where I was. It was pitch black save for a platform that was emitting a brilliant white light. It looked ominous.

Suddenly, a boy who stood on the platform appeared in my line of sight. He was giving off a luminescence, so I couldn't see who he was from a distance. As I drifted closer though, the person became clearer. The figure was wearing a form-fitting white cloak that flowed down his body with large, pristine white angel wings emerging from his back. The person had sun-kissed golden skin with blond hair that appeared as if it was swept by a breeze. I recognized him immediately; I was taken aback; it was Roxas. He looked so beautiful; he was more magnificant than the last time I saw him.

"Is this a dream?" I wondered. All this seemed so otherworldly, it must have been. As if to test my theory, I pinched my cheek. In didn't wake up. This wasn't a dream!

As I got even closer, I could see that his eyes were closed and that his face revealed nothing. As I landed right next to him, he turned his back to me. I could see why; I treated him so horribly the last time I saw him.

"Roxas." I whispered. He didn't respond.

"I'm so glad to be able to see you again." I said.

"Oh really, you are?" Roxas finally spoke. Those words made my chest clench.

"Look I know what I said was horrible-"

"Horrible?! It was heart-wrenching!" Roxas screamed as he turned to face me. "If I had a heart, it would have broken into a million pieces. When you didn't look back, you stomped on the 'fragments'. I protected Sora because unlike me, he has someone who loves him enough to do anything for him. I couldn't let him lose that."

So that's what that was; Roxas summoned the barrier of light. Hearing him say those words punched a hole right through my chest.

"That's not true!" I shouted. "You mean everything to me!"

"Oh Really? Your last words to me when I was still alive contradicts what you say now. Besides, before you even said that, I noticed that you acted colder to me as we passed each other in the hallways of the Castle That Never Was; you never stopped to speak to me until that one time!" He exclaimed.

That got me angry. "Nor did you! You could have easily spoke to me in the halls. You suddenly stopped going to the Clock Tower! That's why I acted colder towards you." I roared.

"I had a lot on my mind and I needed time to myself to clear my thoughts. Besides, it was my choice in the first place to even go to the Clock Tower; you should have been okay with me not going. I can't believe that this is the reason you shattered my nonexistent heart; it's so stupid!" Roxas responded.

"It's not that..." I whispered. "When you stopped showing up, you hurt me. I missed you. I missed the time we spent together. It was the only thing I looked forward to in my nonexistent life. You meant so much to me. I looked forward to seeing your smile. Your laugh cheered me up no matter what mood I was in. I cherished every part of you; you were so beautiful, and you still are. Roxas...I love you." I confessed.

Roxas's POV:

Did I hear him correctly? Did Axel just tell me that he loved me?

"What did you say?" I asked.

"I love you." Axel repeated.

"You do?" I inquired.

"Yes. Roxas, before I met you, I was a cold, calculating individual that would have done anything to accomplish his goals, even if it meant hurting others. But when I met you, I changed. When I first laid eyes on you, I believed that I was looking at the most divine angel. I felt that I had protect you no matter what. As we spent more time together, you thawed the ice that lingered inside the hole where my heart should be and replaced it with the coziest warmth. You made me feel...like I had a heart. You were so special to me. I'm so sorry for taking you for granted. I should have never said such a horrid thing; it's my greatest regret."

Tears suddenly surfaced in my eyes. Unlike the previous ones however, they were of joy. Axel moved to gently kiss my tears away. A warmth swelled inside me.

"I love you too Axel. You also made me feel...like I gad a heart. That is what perplexed me. Ever since I first saw you, a flutter would always rise in my chest. I struggled to keep my voice from wavering when I spoke to you. I always had to turn my head quickly to keep you from staring at me as I stared at you; you're so beautiful. I didn't know what I was feeling. I didn't want to confront you because I thought you would have thought that I was being ridiculous; I took those extra missions so I could think my feelings through. When you told me that you hated me, I thought you didn't share my feelings; that's why I was so crushed. I felt more and more pain with every second that passed. I didn't realize that I loved you until it was too late; by then, I was stabbed. I couldn't help but think that my love was unrequited as I was dying. But, I'm glad; I was so wrong." I expressed.

"I'm glad you were wrong too." Axel breathed as he closed the distance between us. He tilted my chin up and leaned down. I stood up on the tips of my toes. We were sharing the same breath as we stared into each other's eyes. Then, he brought his lips down and kissed me. His eyes were shut, and I closed my eyes slowly. I kissed back instantly. It was so passionate and desperate; we fought each other for dominance. He suddenly ran a hand through my back, causing me to gasp. He quickly took that to his advantage, and slipped his tounge inside my mouth. As he was tasting me, I struck my tounge into his mouth too, tasting him as well; he tasted of the sweetest cinimmomn. It was amazing. We broke apart only when we ran out of breath.

"That was amazing; I always dreamed of doing that." Axel sighed.

"I love you." I sighed contently.

"I love you too." Axel whispered back.

Suddenly, I was overcome with sadness.

"Axel, you can't stay here." I said. I hurt so much to say that; I wanted to stay with him forever.

"Why? Where are we?" He whispered.

"We're in Sora's heart. I was able to send your conciousness here, but only for a short time. Sadly, this is the only place we can talk."

"So...this is goodbye?" Axel whimpered. I could sense the misery dripping from his voice.

"Yes." I replied.

He suddenly pulled me into a searing kiss. I responded back with everything I had, since this would probably be the last time saw could see each other in a long time.

I could sense that time was up, so I pulled away. The sadness etched on his face broke my "heart", but it had to be done.

"Goodbye Axel..." I breathed.

"Goodbye Roxas..." He replied with a heavy "heart".

Summoning a surge of power, I sent him back to the real world. Just before he left though, we shared some last words.

"I love you Axel..."

"I love you too Roxas. Got it memorized?" He added with a tap to his temple. I giggled at his corny yet lovable catchphrase.

"Let's meet again...in the next life." Axel declared resolutely.

"Yeah, I'll be waiting." I responded. I could see the tear that left one of his eyes.

Until we meet again...

* * *

Axel's POV:

When I came to, I realized that I was laying face-down on the floor of the Pod Room. I picked myself up with a smile on my face. As I looked up, I met Riku's and Sora's eyes. They were filled with worry.

"I'm not going to kill you, Riku. I realized that that is not what Roxas wants. He wants you to keep treating Sora like he is your everything." I proclaimed.

"I will." Riku replied resolutely.

"Axel..." Sora trailed off.

"I can take care if myself. I love and miss Roxas with all of my nonexistent heart. Even though I might not be able to see him again for a long time, I will cherish my memories of him until we can see each other again and then we can create new ones." I declared.

"Axel..." He whispered as a line tear left one if his eyes. Riku held him close, and wiped the stray tear away. I was happy to see them happy; this was what Roxas wanted.

"Axel...I'm so sorry for what I did to Roxas. He didn't deserve that." Riku apologized.

"Even though I can never forgive you for what you did to my love, you did it to save yours, and that's what Roxas wanted." I replied undoubtedly.

* * *

I left Castle Oblivion to visit the Proof of Existence in the Castle That Never Was. I walked up to Roxas's grave and placed a hand on the tombstone. I smiled.

Until the next life...

* * *

How was it? Please review! Who knows? If I receive enough reviews, I might write an epilogue. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello readers! I would like to thank **Small-Cherry-Wolf-XIII **and **AngelHeartFire **for reviewing my previous chapter! Thanks to them, I was motivated to write the epilogue. I hope you both enjoy this!

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Kingdom Hearts. It belongs to Disney and Square Enix. I only own this and every story I have.

* * *

Epilogue

_The Next Life..._

I woke up with a start. "Another dream about him..." I whispered.

Recently, I had been having strange dreams about me and another guy. We wore the same black cloaks. In the dreams, we sat on what appeared to be a tower and ate this light blue ice-cream together, laughing. It was weird; I'd never seen that guy before, yet he felt so familiar to me, and my heart had always tingled with joy.

Sigh. I almost forgot. Today's the first day of high school. Great. It's going to be soo much better than last year. Maybe school will finally become interesting. Notice my sarcasm.

As I finished preparing, I checked myself out in the miror. "Huh, not too bad." I muttered. My hair was done in its signature spikes, and the blue blazer that was a part of my uniform hung loosely over a plaid button-down dress shirt. My black slacks made their way down to black dress shoes. After making sure I looked my best, I went down to eat breakfast.

After literally creeping down the stairs, I was met with the sight of my mother cooking bacon and eggs.

"You look handsome sweetheart." She chirped.

"Thanks." I grumbled.

"Are you excited for the first day of school?" Mom inquired.

"No." I bluntly stated.

"Why not? School is such an amazing experience." She questioned. 'Amazing', yeah right.

"What are you talking about Mom? School is never fun!" I exclaimed. "Why don't I just do e-schooling? At least I will have the comforts of home."

"No," Mom corrected me as she handed me my plate, "it is a life-changing experience. After all, I met your father there. In other words, if it weren't for school, you wouldn't exist." She smirked.

"Ugh, don't remind me." I mumbled. I hated having to be reminded that school was the reason that I am alive.

"Now go, before you are late!" Mom cheered happily.

"Ugh, bye." I muttered under my breath. I grabbed my stuff, rushed out the door.

* * *

As the school entered my line of vision, I slowed my pace; after all, why should I hurry to something that I hate so much?

Even though I despised it, I had to admit that it looked nice. The high school was huge; it was three stories tall. Being stuck at a perpetual sunset, the sun highlighted the orange exterior of the building, making it stand out from the other structures around Twilight Town.

As I walked past the main entrance, I crowd of teenagers greeted me. Oh great, just what I needed.

I went to the counselor's office to pick up my schedule. As I took my first look at it, I nearly screamed. The courses that I would be taking have too many people in them each. How great.

As I was passing the hallway to my next class, I passed a person that caused my heart to race. As I took a better look, I could see why; he was beautiful. Before I could really asses a detailed description though, he was long gone.

Sigh. The one person that could have made school interesting vanished into thin air. Great.

* * *

Axel's POV:

"Just as I thought, school is so horrible." I mumbled. During my past few classes, all the people did was talk about uninteresting, insensible things. I didn't know how anyone could get caught up in it. I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a commotion. Always being very curious, I followed the racket.

Two bullies-one with a beanie over his blond hair and the other with an orange shirt and a tan-were playing 'monkey in the middle' with a poor kid's backpack. Being short, he could reach it no matter how high he tried to jump.

"Hey, stop that!" I exclaimed. I caught the backpack as it was airborne.

"Give that back, that's not yours y'know." The orange-shirted bully called.

"Do you know who you are messing with, flameslocks!? I'm Seifer, the strongest guy in the school!"

"Yeah right. Why would you need to bully a defenseless kid in order to prove that you are the 'strongest'? Only weaklings prey on the helpless." I retorted.

"Why you..." The tan bully threatened.

"It's okay Rai, he's not worth our time. Later loser!" Seifer retreated into the depths of the school with his loyal follower. With them gone, I looked at the kid.

"Thanks..." The victim mumbled. He was on the floor, head down.

"No problem." I replied. I offered him my hand, and he took it.

As I did so, I got a proper look at his face, and my heart stopped. He had beautiful golden blond spikes swept to the side as if by the wind. His a-little-too-big uniform complemented his oceanic blue eyes perfectly, and I knew I could get lost in them forever. His face was perfectly rounded with a healthy blush on his cheeks. His black and white plaid shirt somehow fitted perfectly with him. His slacks hugged his thin waist, and they were tucked into his brown shoes. He was breathtaking, and I had a hard time not staring at him.

"What's your name?" I inquired. Somehow, he seemed familiar.

"Roxas." He mumbled. His voice was music.

"Nice to meet you Roxas. Name's Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" I did my trademark tap to my temple.

"Y-yeah." He stuttered. If I wasn't mistaken. I saw him blush. How cute.

"Well, I'll being seeing you around Roxas." I winked. His blush intensified.

"O-okay. Bye." He stumbled over his words and quickly left the area.

"Bye~" I teased. Man, school was going to be so interesting now.

* * *

Roxas's POV:

Who was that Axel guy? Why was I blushing? Why was my heart trying to escape my chest? Why did I felt like I met him before? Questions plagued my mind as I hurried down the halls. I had chemistry for 7th period, which was on the third story. Being downstairs, I rushed up the stairs to avoid being late. I was luck to have memorized me entire schedule, or I would have wasted more time. As I busted into the classroom, my eyes suddenly flicked to a shock of red.

My jaw dropped in shock. Axel? As in the guy that warded off those bullies earlier? As in the guy who made me blush and my heart pound? What was he doing here? Was he a sophomore, or was he an nerdy kid like me? Definitely the former.

Being almost late, I sat in the only available seat, which happened to be right next to him. It was worse since each desk only could hold two people each. Me and my bad luck...

"Well, well, well," Axel chuckled. "if it isn't the kid I helped earlier. Why are you in this class? Aren't you too young? What are you doing here?"

An embarrassed blush creeped up my cheeks. "W-well, y-you s-see," I stuttered uncontrollably, "I-I credit by examined all m-my core classes, so I was able to take classes above my g-grade." I must have looked like a mess.

"So you're a freshman, huh?" Axel mused. "How cool. You must be very smart." He thought my nerdeness was cool?

"Everyone else thinks I'm just a dork." I shyly admitted.

"A dork? You're too cute to be a dork!" Axel reasoned.

My face suddenly went on fire. Did he just call me cute?

"I-I'm not." I whispered.

"Stop that." Axel commanded. "You're probably the cutest guy I have ever met. Stop denying it." I felt faint and I swore that I was about to swoon.

Luckily, the bell rang, saving me from listening to that sweet torture. I inwardly sighed.

* * *

We took notes throughout chemistry, and I couldn't help to steal glances at the redhead next to me. After all, he was hot; his jade eyes captivated me and his feisty hair looked so dangerous yet attractive.

I could have sworn that he was staring at me too, but every time I tried to catch him, he was facing the board. What was I thinking? Why would a guy as handsome as him stare at an ugly guy like me? I'm being paranoid. He probably said I was cute earlier just to get my confidence up. Yep, that must have been it.

When the bell rang, a collective scraping of chairs sounded. Everyone was crammed at the doorway in an attempt to leave the classroom as fast as possible.

"Finally the first day of school is over!" Axel sighed in relief. I had no idea that he even followed me out the door.

"Today was okay." I mumbled. "It's just that school is too easy."

"Says Mister-I-Credit-By-Examed-All-My-Core-Classes!" Axel cheerfully teased as he playfully punched me on the arm. "Not everyone is a genius like you!"

I blushed at that. Gosh, how many times have I blushed today? Way too many.

"Hey Roxas, could you please help me with some of my courses? Since you are smart enough to CBE all your core classes, I bet this stuff will come naturally to you. Please?" Axel begged, giving me his cutest puppy-dog eyes.

My heart almost hammered its way out of my chest, and it didn't take very long for me to submit.

"O-okay. When do you want me to come over?" I inquired.

"Now." Axel grinned. "I can drive you there."

* * *

Axel's POV:

Yes! I got the cutie to go over to my house! Of course I could do the work; it was so easy! I just needed an excuse for him to come over, and it worked.

I couldn't take it anymore; I couldn't keep myself from staring at him; I barely managed to avoid his eyes when he stared back.

As we walked over to my ride, I took his hand in mine just to gauge his reaction. His face combusted into flames. How many times had he blushed today? Not like I minded, after all, it had to have been the most adorable thing I had ever seen.

"Woah, this is your ride?" He gasped in shock. I smirked; my bike is just that cool; it was a Deus Grevious Angel, one of the coolest motorbikes in the World.

"Yep. It's a beauty, isn't she?" I mused.

"Y-yeah." Roxas whispered.

"Yeesh, you're quite the chatterbox aren't you? You zombie." I joked.

"Sorry for not meeting your 'standards'." Roxas retorted. Wow, for someone who looked so frail, his words could pack quite the punch.

"I'm just kidding!" I declared as I playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "You take things way too seriously."

"People bully me for my timidness." Roxas breathed.

"Oh. Sorry about that!" I apologized.

I passed him a helmet, and he caught it with a surprised expression on his face.

"W-wait, I'm riding on that thing?" Roxas squeaked.

"No duh genius. How else are you going to my house? You don't have a ride, don't you?" I chasted.

"N-no"

"Then get on." I commanded. As I mounted my bike, Roxas sat on the space behind me. Anticipating the wild ride, he held on my waist for dear life. Huh, I could get used to this."

As I revved the engine, I heard nervous whimpers from behind me.

"It'll be okay. I'll make sure you are just fine." I reassured.

As I drove, the nervous whimpers ceased.

"Huh, not bad. I like it. The wind in my hair feels nice." Roxas mused.

"Of course."

* * *

The drive to my house was quiet save for the rev of the engine. As soon as we arrived on the driveway, I was met with the sight of my dad mowing the lawn.

"Good afternoon son!" He welcomed.

"Hi" I greeted.

"Who's this?" Dad questioned.

"He's a new friend from school. Dad, meet Roxas." I introduced as I gestured to the boy behind me.

"Hey." Roxas greeted as he gave a nervous wave.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you. Axel, we told you that school would be an amazing experience; you made your first friend." I hated it when my parents brought up the positives of school. I trudged into the house, Roxas following behind me.

"First friend?" Roxas echoed.

"I don't get along with people." I answered.

"Really?! You seemed so sociable with me."

"It's only because I felt comfortable around you, like we were really close before. Got it memorized?"

"Y-yeah. I feel the same way." Roxas confessed.

"Really? Who knows, we could become best friends." I offered.

"Isn't it too soon? We've only known each other for a few hours!" Roxas exclaimed.

"Too soon? With our apparent connection, why wait?" I pointed out.

"G-good point."

"I know." I smirked.

We entered my room, and Roxas stared at it with awe.

"Wow! This is really your room?" He gaped. My room was the size of a living room, with a huge window that led to a balcony that had an amazing view. Posters of the most popular rock bands dotted the fire-red walls. Leaning against the wall was a king-sized bed for myself. A large walk-in closet and a spacious bathroom connected the two rooms. I took pride in my bedroom.

"Yep." I bragged. "Well, enough stalling; why don't we start on the coursework?"

"O-okay."

* * *

Roxas's POV:

We spent hours on all his assignments. I suspected that he didn't need help; he seemed to pretend to not know the material. I was tricked. Oh well, the time we spent together was nice.

He was right about our 'apparent connection'; I felt like I could talk to him about anything, except for the dreams I was having about us.

"And done!" Axel exclaimed. His voice snapped my out of my thoughts.

"Thanks for the help Roxas." He thanked. "Why don't I take you out to celebrate? It's the least I could do to repay you."

"I-it's okay!" I stuttered. "I-it was no problem! Y-you don't need to repay me!"

"Come on! I insist! There's an ice cream parlor close by!" Axel reassured as he took my hand in his. My hand burned at the contact.

He dragged me down the stairs, me having to almost run in order to keep up with his long strides.

As we approached the bottom, we caught the sight of his mom.

"Bye mom! Roxas and I will be heading out to celebrate the completion of school work!" Axel called out.

"Okay...Well, have fun boys!"

"Okay!"

Before we left, Axel's mom added another comment.

"I told you Axel! Isn't school the best? It's because of it that you could celebrate with your new friend!"

"Mooom!" Axel groaned. I could barely hold in a giggle.

* * *

Axel's POV:

As we entered the ice cream shop, our eyes darted up to the display board.

"Ah, the ice cream here looks amazing!" Roxas mused.

"They are." I replied.

"Wait, what's that flavor?" Roxas pointed out. My eyes following the direction of his finger, I saw what he was talking about. The ice cream portrayed was light blue in color and was on a popsicle. Right below the image, the words 'Sea-Salt Ice Cream' were spelled out.

"Huh, that's new; I've been to this store many times, yet it was never there." I responded.

"Why don't we get that then? It looks delicious!" Roxas pleaded. The look on his face was so adorable, I couldn't help but submit.

"Sure, why not?"

As we went over to the register, we both said that we wanted Sea-Salt Ice Cream. She was happy to comply.

"That'll be $1.50 each." The cashier politely said.

As Roxas was about to pull money out of his wallet, I stopped him. He gave me a confused look.

"Don't worry. Remember, this is my treat, so I'll pay for both of our ice-creams." I declared.

"Thanks Axel."

After I paid the cashier, she handed over our ice-creams. Be both thanked her and left the store.

"Hey, Axel. I know a great place where we can go to eat our ice creams. It has a nice view and everything."

"Really? Where?" I started getting excited.

"Let me show you."

* * *

Roxas's POV:

I led him toward a tower. It was above an antique train station. It had two bells on either side of it, with a huge clock as the tower's face. Even though it was very old, it was still very beautiful.

"Woah, it looks amazing!" Axel gasped.

"Wait 'till you get to the top. It will take some time and effort to go up the seemingly endless flight of stairs, but it'll be worth it." I explained.

"You better be right." Axel warned.

* * *

After spending what seemed like hours traversing the complex stairs, the door to the ledge was in view.

"If there are any more stairs, I swear I'll..." Axel threatened.

"Don't worry, we're at the door." I reassured.

"We better be." He mumbled.

As I opened the door, I looked at his face to survey his expression. The frown that was plastered on his face earlier quickly changed into a look of shock.

"Wow..."

"Yep."

The view was spectacular; the rays of the sunset were especially visible from the top of the tower. The town was so minuscule underneath us, like ants. The trees in the woods provided a nice contrast to the Sun's golden rays. It was truly magnificent.

"You're right." Axel whispered.

"I know." I chuckled.

Axel sat down on the edge and patted the spot next to me. Blushing, I took it.

We unwrapped our bars and took our first bites into the new flavor.

"Salty...but sweet." I mused.

"Yeah, it's so good! I wish that this was made earlier." I exclaimed.

Suddenly, a warm, familiar feeling flooded into my heart. The images of my dreams flashed before my eyes. Suddenly, I could not keep my thoughts in my head.

"Hey Axel, have you felt that we've met before?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" Axel questioned.

"I get this familiar feeling whenever we are together." I confessed.

"Yeah. Hey Roxas, have you been having dreams about us?" Axel questioned.

"Y-yeah, I have been." I mumbled.

"What do you think they mean?" He inquired.

"I don't know, it could be some past life." I answered honestly.

"Really? Doesn't that seem a little abstract?" Axel voiced.

"Why not? I remember from history class that there were two Nobodies in an organization called Organization XIII named Axel and Roxas."

"Nobodies, Organization XIII?"

"They were beings that were said to have no hearts. They could not feel emotions. And Organization XIII were a group of humanoid Nobodies, and apparently we were a part of it."

"How were we connected?" Axel wondered.

"We were best friends." I replied.

"Best friends? I thought that Nobodies had no emotions! Wouldn't you need emotions to care for someone very much in order to be best friends?" Axel inquired.

"We obviously cared for each other; we apparently visited this Tower after many missions for the Organization in order to just hang out and laugh about stupid things."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I think that I remember some things from my dreams, like how we shared Sea-Salt ice cream every time..." Axel started.

"...And when I felt confused about my feelings for you..." I continued.

"...when I said that I hated you, even when it was false..."

"...how I felt so destroyed after you said that..."

"...I found you dead, I felt so miserable..."

"...I remember feeling so lost and alone when I was restored to Sora..."

"...I tried to avenge you..."

"...I remember seeing you again after our separation..."

"...I confessed to you..."

"...And we said..."

"...I love you..." We said the same time.

"But we couldn't be with each other." I finished.

"It actually happened." He breathed.

"Yeah." I echoed.

"Do you...love me?" Axel inquired.

"Well...I have felt this strange, familiar attraction toward you since I saw you. It felt so weird, yet good." I whispered.

"I felt that attraction too; when I first saw your face, my heart pounded in a way only a person who hasn't seen their other in along time could move." Axel confessed.

"This is too soon..." I protested.

"If we where in love with each other in the past life, yet couldn't be with each other, then why wait now? We had to live a life without each other. Now we finally have a chance." Axel offered.

"You're right..." I whispered as Axel closed in on me. I moved in on him too. We began breathing the same air in a matter of seconds. He made the first move by locking our lips together. My eyes closed slowly as I enjoyed the moment; it was so sweet; so perfect. I kissed back passionately. He seemed surprised at first, but proceeded with just as much.

I couldn't help it; I had to know what he tasted like. I slipped my tounge onto his bottom lip, licking. He eagerly opened up, and slipped his tounge into my mouth as well. He tasted amazing, just like how I remembered it.

After what seemed like an eternity, we pulled away to catch our breath.

"Wow, that was amazing." Axel gasped.

"Just like I remember it." I added.

"Now that we can be together, do you want to be my boyfriend?" Axel proposed.

"Yeah, I would love that." I replied.

"I love you." Axel declared as he poked my nose.

"I love you too." I was blushing.

* * *

_Eighty Years Later..._

Axel's POV:

Roxas made my school life enjoyable. He was so easy to talk to and fun to tease. It never got to far though; I didn't want to offend him.

My parents really did tell me so.

When I found out that we were going to the same college, I jumped for joy; we could stay together! College was a blast because of him.

I remembered it as if it was yesterday; the day that Roxas and I met in the current life. That was one of the best days of my life, along with our wedding day. Proposing to him took a lot of guts, but his surprised expression made everything worthwhile.

We had our ups and downs, like any other couple, but our love carried us through them. We have been together through this life, and hopefully every other.

"I love you" Roxas whispered as he leaned on my shoulder. Even in this age, he was still beautiful.

"I love you too." I responded. "Do you think we will ever be together again in the next life?"

"I know so; it's destiny." I smiled; Roxas had always been so smart.

Looking back, being away from Roxas was my greatest regret.

* * *

Did you like it? Since all the previous chapters have been so sad, I decided to write a happy epilogue. I hope you enjoyed!

It's strange how the epilogue was the _longest_ chapter in this fanfic, but hey, I had a lot to write.

This probably was more fitting as a sequel, but since I said that I was going to write an epilogue, it's an epilogue.

Please review! Your reviews mean everything!

AU: Can you guess whose point of view it was for the first part of the story up 'til Axel's POV? Please write down the name of the person and the reason why you think that reason on a review. If you are correct, then I will write a oneshot based on what topic you give (also in the review), and post it. You will receive credit of course. I will announce who got it correct when I post it.

There will be some limitations, such as:

•Akuroku ONLY (they are the ONLY KH couple I like and write about)

•Can only be a oneshot

•Must be rated K-T (I wouldn't feel comfortable with writing a rated M story)

Happy guessing! (:


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